Battery power supply

[pi.cast]

While testing my recently built fuzz and overdrive pedals, I've noticed they sound way better with 9V batteries (even compared to a switching power supply).
For this reason, I've started researching a way to build a reliable battery power supply that could power multiple pedal, be hosted on a pedalboard, and be controlled by its main power.

There are some commercially available solutions, like:

Vertex Battery Power Supply | vertexeffects.com

Want a power supply that gets best possible tone out of your pedals? What if the answer is 9V batteries? Believe it or not, some of the most discerning “tone-conscious” guitarists like Eric Johnson, Scott Henderson, Michael Landau, and Josh Smith (to name a few), all prefer cheap “Dollar Store”...

www.vertexeffects.com

but here in Europe, they are almost impossible to find or can only be obtained at outrageous prices.
I, therefore, decided to build my own. It is powered by four 9V zinc-carbon batteries, that are switched by an external power supplier (red jack) through a couple of solid-state relays.
This way the batteries remain isolated but do not run out of juice If you don't disconnect the cables.

For a more eco-friendly solution I can also swap out the 9V zinc-carbon batteries, for rechargeable lithium units, although unfortunately, they do not sound as good.

The wiring could have been neater, I admit that. I've threaded and screwed a post in the base plate of the enclosure, so that the batteries can be changed by just unscrewing one fastener at the center, instead of four at the base.
The fastener is also temporary, I've already sourced some thumb screws, to allow a battery swap without screwdriver.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Nice work. I love this! How does the red switching jack work? I didn't follow that part

 

[BuddytheReow]

Looks great! Have you considered using rechargeable batteries?

 

[Big Monk]

First of all, great build!

Not to sidebar, but when people say "they sounded better with batteries...", do they mean noise? Overall tone?

I've been building fuzzes for some time and started out adding battery connections to all that I built so that I could test both. I've never noticed a difference using batteries. Maybe it's just me?

 

[BuddytheReow]

IMO batteries are the 'cleanest' power source, but can get costly. That's why I suggested rechargeable batteries

 

[pi.cast]

Nice work. I love this! How does the red switching jack work? I didn't follow that part

The red jack gets 9v from the standard pedalboard power supplier (the one powering the rest of the pedals), and triggers two solid-state relays connecting the batteries' positive leads to the pedals. Each relay drives two batteries.

This way when the pedalboard's main power is on, the batteries are connected, and when you unplugged the pedalboard, the batteries are automatically disconnected and not being drained.

First of all, great build!

Not to sidebar, but when people say "they sounded better with batteries...", do they mean noise? Overall tone?

I've been building fuzzes for some time and started out adding battery connections to all that I built so that I could test both. I've never noticed a difference using batteries. Maybe it's just me?

I was also very skeptical, but in the case of pedals using germanium transistors, it does make a tangible difference in tone. You have to use zinc-carbon batteries though. Alkaline batteries unfortunately do not provide the same results in my experience.

IMO batteries are the 'cleanest' power source, but can get costly. That's why I suggested rechargeable batteries

These are Chinese special zinc-carbon batteries that cost next to nothing and should last a very long time with my rate of playing.
However, I'll be sourcing and testing rechargeable 9v batteries as a more environmentally friendly alternative.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Ive had the same carbon zinc battery in my sunface for 3 years and i use it pretty much every time I play guitar

 

[Big Monk]

I was also very skeptical, but in the case of pedals using germanium transistors, it does make a tangible difference in tone. You have to use zinc-carbon batteries though. Alkaline batteries unfortunately do not provide the same results in my experience.

I'll pick some up on my next (only) trip to the dollar store.

 

[Coda]

The red jack gets 9v from the standard pedalboard power supplier (the one powering the rest of the pedals), and triggers two solid-state relays connecting the batteries' positive leads to the pedals. Each relay drives two batteries.

This way when the pedalboard's main power is on, the batteries are connected, and when you unplugged the pedalboard, the batteries are automatically disconnected and not being drained.

Genius.

 

[Big Monk]

Parts list or it didn't happen....

 

[pi.cast]

Genius.

Well, I'm just a hack who can barely use a soldering iron ... I've just copied what other people have done commercially.

Parts list or it didn't happen....

There aren't many parts at all:

-1x 1590BB Enclosure
-2x Omron G5V-2-H1-DC9 relays (but many others will work)
-2x 2N3904 diodes (to avoid wrong polarities on the relays)
-4x Keystone 1290 battery holders (they are quite pricey, you can use way cheaper plastic ones)
-5x 2.1mm dc jacks
-1x 5mm red led
-1x 4.7k resistor (for the led)
-4x Chinesium (zinc-carbon) batteries

 

[Big Monk]

Well, I'm just a hack who can barely use a soldering iron ... I've just copied what other people have done commercially.



There aren't many parts at all:

-1x 1590BB Enclosure
-2x Omron G5V-2-H1-DC9 relays (but many others will work)
-2x 2N3904 diodes (to avoid wrong polarities on the relays)
-4x Keystone 1290 battery holders (they are quite pricey, you can use way cheaper plastic ones)
-5x 2.1mm dc jacks
-1x 5mm red led
-1x 4.7k resistor (for the led)
-4x Chinesium (zinc-carbon) batteries

I'm going to test my germanium MK II and Fizz Face with batteries and if it sounds better, I'll build the 1/2 version of yours and run them off that.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I use a rechargeable usb battery bank to power pedals at gigs. I use one of these to drop the voltage down to 9v.

myVolts 9V Ripcord USB to DC power cable, centre negative, model AA927MS

E-Commerce Web Store

myvolts.co.uk

Totally silent and I get a good few hrs from a full charge.

 

[finebyfine]

Brilliant job!! I will enjoy using this build as an excuse to hold on to 18650 cells that I really ought to just recycle. I personally have no opinion on battery vs power supply but a great project's a great project anyway you cut it.

 

[Big Monk]

So, I went DEEP last night before bed on researching the who, what, where, why and how of fuzzes and batteries.

This will be a cheap, low key project for me. I’m going to use a few sources I found, namely this thread, Jack Orman’s voltage sag and series resistance emulator and R.G.’s voltage sag comments to build a sag box that truly emulates battery “Tone”.

I’m a bit of a skeptic because I don’t think the battery alone makes a difference but I’ll use my ears and “see” what I find.

If batteries are the way forward, I’ll build one of these boxes. Great thread!

 

[caiofilipini]

Just throwing this out there:

Virtual Battery

There's no getting away from it, some pedals just sound better on batteries. From Germanium Fuzz Faces to Wah pedals sometimes only a battery will do. If you try to power them from a non-isolated source, such as a daisy chain, they can be noisy and in some cases can even damage your precious...

shop.thegigrig.com

 

[Big Monk]

Just throwing this out there:

Virtual Battery

There's no getting away from it, some pedals just sound better on batteries. From Germanium Fuzz Faces to Wah pedals sometimes only a battery will do. If you try to power them from a non-isolated source, such as a daisy chain, they can be noisy and in some cases can even damage your precious...

shop.thegigrig.com

The only issue with the GigRig, if we are trying to really emulate the elements of a battery, is that it only offers a fixed series resistance.

 

[finebyfine]

Just throwing this out there:

Virtual Battery

There's no getting away from it, some pedals just sound better on batteries. From Germanium Fuzz Faces to Wah pedals sometimes only a battery will do. If you try to power them from a non-isolated source, such as a daisy chain, they can be noisy and in some cases can even damage your precious...

shop.thegigrig.com

101 level question here but would DIYing this require a transformer that's already like $20?

 

[Big Monk]

101 level question here but would DIYing this require a transformer that's already like $20?

I would argue you don't need an isolated out for a Fuzz pedal, ergo no transformer required. I'm wondering if a Virtual Battery/Sag Circuit thread is required here.

I don't want to hijack @pi.cast and his thread. Unless you're ok with this topic within the thread?

 

[finebyfine]

I would argue you don't need an isolated out for a Fuzz pedal, ergo no transformer required. I'm wondering if a Virtual Battery/Sag Circuit thread is required here.

I don't want to hijack @pi.cast and his thread. Unless you're ok with this topic within the thread?

(sorry for adding to the tangent - please feel free to ask me to delete my replies) I was just asking about the isolator part in general, not necessarily for the same applications